Electric ironing press

ABSTRACT

An ironing press wherein the heating plate suspended to a pivoting arm is adapted to be lowered onto and raised above the ironing area, and wherein a hand-operable lock may be rocked into a position wherein a bolt carried by it engages a groove in the arm so as to lock the lever in the position it assumes inside the groove when it urges the arm downwardly. Furthermore, the lowering of the arm acts mechanically through the lever or through said lock on an electric circuit so as to disconnect the latter from the heating means which it energizes inside the heating plate and to connect it with an alarm circuit. A delay system is advantageously incorporated with said circuit to delay said switching operation a few seconds after the lowering of the arm and plate.

Aeschlimann et a1.

[5 1 ELECTRIC IRONING PRESS 3,454,741 7/1969 Stewart 219/243 Inventors:Pierre h m m ene a; Ma cel 3,272,114 9/1966 Rakal 100/53 Fresard,Petit-Lancy' Antonio Primary Examiner-C. L. Albrltton Jlmenez Geneva allof Swltzerland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Groff; Jr.Groff [73]Assignee: Mefina S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland 22 Filed: Dec. 8, 1972 B TR[21] Appl. NO 313 441 An ironing press wherein the heating platesuspended to a pivoting arm is adapted to be lowered onto and 4 raisedabove the ironing area, and wherein a hand- [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data operable lock may be rocked into a position wherein a Feb.24, 1972 Switzerland 2630/72 bolt Carried y it ng g a gro ve in he rm soas to Mar. 8, 1972 Switzerland 3489/72 leek the lever in the Position itassumes inside the groove when it urges the arm downwardly. Further-[52] U.S. Cl. 219/243, 100/53 more, the lowering of the m tsmechanically [51] Int. Cl. H05b 1/00 through h v r r hro gh aid lock onan electric [58] Field of Search ,1 219/243, 250, 251, 256; circuit soas to disconnect the latter from the heating 100/93 P, 53, 214, 17;38/24-28; 192/129 A, means which it energizes inside the heating plateand 129 R to connect it with an alarm circuit. A delay system isadvantageously incorporated with said circuit to delay [56] Refer nc Citd said switching operation a few seconds after the lower- UNITED STATESPATENTS ing Ofthe arm and Plate- 2,231,46l 2/1941 Bush 38/25 6 Claims, 6Drawing Figures 1451 May 7,1974

3L809L85l PATENIEDIAY 71974:

sum 3 as 4 m Qt 1 ELECTRIC IRONING PRESS The present invention has forits object an electric ironing press comprising a working surfaceextending over a support to which an arm is pivotally secured around anaxis which is substantially parallel with the working surface, a heatingplate carrying heating means adapted to be connected with the electricmains, a system for suspending the heating plate to the arm and ahand-controlled lever pivotally secured to the arm at a point remotefrom said pivotal axis, said lever being provided with an extensioncooperating with the support, so as to make the heating plate assumeselectively two stable positions corresponding respectively to a closingand to an opening of the press.

The improved press according to the present invention is characterizedby the provision of a mechanical safety and an electric safety system.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically and by way ofexample an embodiment of the ironing press forming the object of theinvention. In said drawings:

-FIG. l is a perspective view of the improved ironing press.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view thereof, partly in section, withparts broken away, showing how the press is locked when in its closedposition.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a part of the arm of the press, with partsbroken away, to show how the press is locked when in its closedposition.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a part of said arm, showing howthe bolt-carrying-bar may act as a safety system when the press is inits open position.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the electric safety system.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the press, certain parts beingbroken away to show the electric safety system.

The electric ironing press illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a frame orsupport 1 carrying an ironing board 2 covered by a fabric. An arm 3 fromwhich a heating plate 4 is suspended, which acts as a sad-iron ispivotally secured to the rear end of the frame 1 around a horizontalaxis. A hand-operable lever 5 which is pivotally secured to the arm 3 ata point remote from said horizontal axis cooperates with the profiles oftwo cams, which are not illustrated, carried by the frame and ensuringthe opening and the closing of the press.

The arm 3 encloses a portion of the arrangement adapted to adjust thetemperature of the heating plate 4. A thermostat-adjusting knob 6 fittedon the heating plate 4 is shown in FIG. 1, together with a luminoussignal which is extinguished when the thermostat switches off theelectric current feeding the heating means in the plate 4 and a panel 8providing an indication for the desired temperature to be assumed by theheating plate As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the arm 3 is providedwith a groove 37 engaged by the lever 5 in its press-closing position.

A lock 38 controlled by a key which may be inserted in a bore formed forthis purpose in the upper surface of the arm 3 is adapted to lock thelever 5 in its pressclosing position. For this purpose, the bolt 39 onthe lock 38 projects into the groove 37 engaged by the lever 5 in itspress-locking position. This eliminates all risks of an undesiredinadvertent opening of the press when it is being put aside or takenhold of by unauthorized persons.

Similarly, when the press is open, the locking of the lock 38 preventsthe press from being closed by an unauthorized person, since its bolt 39prevents any lowering of the lever 5 into the groove 37, the bar 5engaging the groove 37 for both positions of the lever. The lock 38serves then as a safety system if, for instance, children were to try toclose the press during a short absence of the actual operator.Preferably, the lock 38 controls a switch, not shown, which cuts off theelectric circuit feeding the heating means of the press when lock 38 isin closed position and locking the press.

As illustrated, there is provided a second lever 40 rigid with the arm 3of the press and through which the heating plate 4 may be shifted byhand towards the ironing board before the lever 5 is set in itspressclosing position.

FIG. 5 shows the electric safety system controlling the current feedingthe heating means and adapted to switch off the current when the pressremains closed over a period which lasts too long, say over 15 seconds.

The circuit extends between two terminals a and b adapted to beconnected with the terminals of onephase mains. Heating means 9 areinserted in series with adjusting means 10 and a switch 11 between theterminals a and b. The adjusting means 10 include in particular thethermostat referred to hereinabove.

The switch 11 feeds the heating means when it is set in the positionillustrated, whereas it releases an acoustic signal 12 when it is set inits other operative position.

The switch 1 1 comprises the contact pieces of a relay controlled by theenergizing winding 12 subjected to the action of an electronic delayingsystem or timer. The latter is fed by the mains through a rectifier 14,a resistance R, and a Zener diode D which stabilises at a value of 24volts the voltage of a condenser C inserted in parallel with a condenserC and loaded by the current from the mains after rectification at 14.Said delaying system includes a transistor T adapted to load underconstant current conditions a condenser C To this end, the base-emittercircuit of the transistor T, is stabilized by a further Zener diode Dand the resistances R and R The condenser is adapted to be dischargedinto a resistance R upon closing of a switch S. The voltage of saidcondenser C is applied to an amplifier of the Darlington typeconstituted by two transistors T and T and controlling the feed of thewinding 13 forming part of the relay switch 11. A Zener diode D isinserted in series between the condenser C and the amplifier, so thatthe latter may become conductive only when the voltage of the condenserC rises above the critical voltage of the Zener diode D A resistance R,is provided for adjusting the voltage of the base of the transistor Twhile a condenser C inserted in series with a resistance R, cuts ofi allstray oscillations in the circuit. A diode D is inserted in parallelwith the winding 13, so as to quench the break impulses.

The switch S is opened by the lock 38, for instance, when the press isclosed, so as to the condenser C The voltage on the latter increasesgradually and after about, say 15 seconds, it reaches ensure the loadingof the threshold of conductibility of the diode D which results in theenergization of the winding 13 of the relay switch 11. Consequently, thefeed current is switched off and the acoustic signal 12 is released. Ifthe press is now opened before the winding 13 is energized, thisproduces a closing of the switch S, whereby the condenser C dischargesspeedily into the resistance R...

Thus, when the press is again operated, the condenser C, must bere-loaded, starting from a practically zero voltage.

The delaying system forms a printed circuit constituted by a thin plate15 fitted in the arm 3 (FIG. 6). Said plate carries a conductive blade16 playing the part of the switch S of FIG. 5 and providing for thecontact between two contact-pieces, not illustrated, carried by theplate 15. Upon closing of the press, that is upon lowering of the arm 3,one end 17 of the conductive blade 16 is raised by a cam which is notillustrated, which cam is actuated by the lever 5, so that the contactbetween the contact-pieces through the blade 16 is cut off.

According to a modification, the acoustic signal 12 may be replaced byany other signalling means such as luminous signal for instance.

We claim:

1. In an ironing press comprising a frame provided with a working area,an arm adapted to rock between an upper and a lower position withreference to said frame around an axis substantially parallel with theworking area and provided with a groove extending across its uppersurface perpendicular to said axis, a heating plate suspended from saidarm, heating means within said heating plate and a hand-operable leverpivotally secured to said arm at a point remote from said axis andadapted to be shifted between an upper position raised above the arm foropening the press and a lower groove-engaging position for closing thepress, the provision of mechanical lever-locking safety means in saidarm and of an electric safety circuit also in said arm and opened andclosed by actuation of said leverlocking safety means to make theheating means inoperative at a predetermined moment after the closing ofthe press.

2. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical safety meansincludes a lock including a bolt, the bolt of said lock penetratinginside the groove in the arm over the location, to thereby lock saidlever in said last-mentioned position.

3. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical safety meansincludes a lock including a bolt mounted in the arm, the bolt of saidlock penetrating inside the groove in the arm over the location of thelever when said lever is in its lower groove-engaging position, therebyto lock said lever in said last-mentioned position, the movement of thebolt inside the groove preventing the lever from entering said groovewhen the lever is raised above the arm.

4. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical safety meansincludes a lock including a bolt mounted in the arm, the bolt of saidlock penetrating inside the groove in the arm over the location of thelever when said lever is in its lower groove-engaging position, tothereby lock said lever in said last-mentioned position and wherein theelectric circuit includes a switch controlled by the lock, said switchcontrolling the operation of the heating means.

5. An ironing press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric safetycircuit includes a timer controlling the electric current fed to theheating means, said timer being started when rocking the arm into itslower position and being adapted to switch off the heating means at apredetermined time after the press has been closed.

switched off and an alarm signal energized.

1. In an ironing press comprising a frame provided with a working area,an arm adapted to rock between an upper and a lower position withreference to said frame around an axis substantially parallel with theworking area and provided with a groove extending across its uppersurface perpendicular to said axis, a heating plate suspended from saidarm, heating means within said heating plate and a hand-operable leverpivotally secured to said arm at a point remote from said axis andadapted to be shifted between an upper position raised above the arm foropening the press and a lower groove-engaging position for closing thepress, the provision of mechanical lever-locking safety means in saidarm and of an electric safety circuit also in said arm and opened andclosed by actuation of said leverlocking safety means to make theheating means inoperative at a predetermined moment after the closing ofthe press.
 2. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanicalsafety means includes a lock including a bolt, the bolt of said lockpenetrating inside the groove in the arm over the location, to therebylock said lever in said last-mentioned position.
 3. A press as claimedin claim 1, wherein the mechanical safety means includes a lockincluding a bolt mounted in the arm, the bolt of said lock penetratinginside the groove in the arm over the location of the lever when saidlever is in its lower groove-engaging position, thereby to lock saidlever in said last-mentioned position, the movement of the bolt insidethe groove preventing the lever from entering said groove when the leveris raised above the arm.
 4. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein themechanical safety means includes a lock including a bolt mounted in thearm, the bolt of said lock penetrating inside the groove in the arm overthe location of the lever when said lever is in its lowergroove-engaging position, to thereby lock said lever in saidlast-mentioned position and wherein the electric circuit includes aswitch controlled by the lock, said switch controlling the operation ofthe heating means.
 5. An ironing press as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe electric safety circuit includes a timer controlling the electriccurrent fed to the heating means, said timer being started when rockingthe arm into its lower position and being adapted to switch off theheating means at a predetermined time after the press has been closed.6. An ironing press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric safetycircuit includes a timer controlling the electric current fed to theheating means, said timer being started when rocking the arm into itslower position and being adapted to energize a relay controlling atwo-way switch at a predetermined time after the press has been closed,whereby the heating means are switched off and an alarm signalenergized.